Ravishing Music
Karl Henzy | 12/21/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The reviewer from Grammaphone is right that Barraque's music is of its time (50s-60s), but it can't be stressed enough that it also transcends its time--this music is simply ravishing. The more one listens to it, the more every note seems absolutely right. In fact, the three-disc set with Barraque's complete works is really the one to purchase--it's already a special order and who knows how much longer it will be in print? But this is some of the best, most beautiful music of our century. We're not talking about flowing sound here--Barraque's music is frequently startling, with lots of percussion (pitched and unpitched), and notes that seem to suddenly leap out at you. Le Mort de Virgile, of which Temps is one third, is I think one of the top five masterpieces of the 20th-Century. Get this music, listen, and enjoy."